Selvage spreader



July 30, 1963 R. L. CONNORS SELVAGE SPREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 50, 1960 MY NM mm W mm Q 9n ww Q INVENTOR. I 9055,? T A. Cam/0R5 6M, QM, 0 $24 July 30, 1963 R. L. coNNoRs SELVAGE SPREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1960 a NM M om INVENTOR. ROBERT L. Ca/wvo/as BY G QZ A QMJQQ- dfi A TTORNEY tainty of operation are United States Patent 3,099,144 SELVAGE SPREADER Robert L. Connors, Ton-awanda, N.Y.,.assiguor to Van Raalte Company, Inc.,North Tonawanda, N.Y. Filed Dec. '30, 1960, Ser. No. 79,684 6 Claims. ((166-147) 'contracts across its width to a very substantial degree and that the edges of thefabric curl or'roll inwardly, all of which tends to produce fabric of an inferiorquality and 'in anunsatisfactory condition because ofundue and unequal longitudinal stretchingand due to the curling edges which often form folds inthe cloth roll at the edges of the fabric.

Furthermore, where scanning or sensing devices are arranged to traverse the fabric to detect broken warp threads or other faults in the fabric difficulty and-uncerthe general rule where such unequal tension conditions and rolled or curled edges exist. It is an object of the'invention to provide means for avoiding the foregoing objections.

Mechanisms for engaging the edges of knitted fabric as'the'sarne issues'from knitting mechanism and for holding such edges to a prescribed width are not broadly new. The present invention provides devices of this descripticn, generally known in the art .as selvage spreaders, which engage the marginal portions of knitted fabric as it issues from knitting mechanism andnot only hold such margins to a prescribed width'hut cause such'marginal portions to traverse a substantially longer path from the knitting mechanism to a predetermined point beyond the knitting mechanism, as for instance the take-up roll usual- 1y employed between knitting mechanism and the .cloth roll in warp knitting machines of this general type.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a knitting machine organizationwhere'in the selvag'e spreaders are geared to travel the selvage portions of the fabric at a faster speed than the central portions thereof, such faster travel speed cooperating with the longer selvage path of travel and being so related that the clothis in proper tension between the knitting mechanism and the 'take up roll atall points across the fabric and arrives at'thetakeup roll with the courses which range across the fabric in substantially straight lines, as distinct from the curved lines which the transverse courses of the fabric frequently and almost usually assume when inadequate salvage spreaders or no selvage Spreaders are employed.

Speaking generally, the uniform tension and uniform winding conditions of the fabric are accomplished by traveling the selvages of the fabric thnough distances of the order of 10 to 20 percent farther than the central portions, from the knitting mechanism to the take-up .roll, and positively driving the selvage portions at a speed corresponding to the additional travel distance; that is, from 10 to 20 percent faster than the speed ofthe central part of the fabric as it passes to and is wound on the cloth roll.

The selvage spreader of the present invention further provides an edge tensioning mechanism which is extreme- -1y-compact and self-contained which is so constructed and mounted that it may readily bepartially detached or released and swung away from the region of the knitting mechanism to permit free access a manner which gives clear access anism without substantial disruption,

the present 3,099,144 Patented July 30., 1963 "ice to the latter for adjust- Ihisis accomplished in to the knitting mechdisconnection =or spreaders, as will appear from rnent, repair or other purposes.

disassembly of the selvage a consideration .of .the embodiment set forth herein by way of example.

While a single embodiment of the selvage spreader of invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, .it is to be understood that such embodiment is by way of example only and that various mechanical modifications may he made therein without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is limitedonly as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevaticnal view of a tricot knitting machine equipped with one "formof the selvage spreader of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevatonal'view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is'afragmentary top planview ufthestructure of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4'is a fragmentary general top plan view of the take-up roll portion of atricot knitting machine showing selvage spreader-s of the present invention at opposite sides thereof.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing and albaseportion of a tricot :knitting "machine for knitting'flat fabric is designated by the numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 'andl2. Con- .A selvage spreader mechanism which is disposed at the 'left hand side of the machine is illustrated in FIGS.

1, 2 and 3 of the drawingsand will he described iii-detail herein'but'itis'tobe'understood that a duplicatespreader mechanism of opposite hand will he provided .atthe righthand side of .the machine whereby the opposite vside edges of the fabric are engaged and held in a spread condition during a portion of the passage of the fabric from the knitting mechanism to the cloth roll .upon which it is wound. The left and right-hand selvage spreader mechanisms'are indicated generallyin the plan view, FIG. -4. Specifically, the selvage spreaders.maintain'their'engagement with the edges of the fabric virtuallyfnom the knitting mechanism to the .p'oint'where the cloth passes to the usual talceup roll.

The selvagespreader mechanism illustratedin the .draw' ings is mounted upon the base 10 of the knitting machine by an angle bracket 12 which is removably and adjustably attached to base 10 byta screw and slot arrangement 13, shown in FIG. 2, whereby themechanism maybe adjusted horizontally inwardly and outwardly with respect to the longitudinal center line of the .knitting machine and the fabric produced thereby.

In FIG. 1 the numeral 15 designates the cloth roll on which the fabric is ultimately wound and in its passage to the cloth roll the fabric passes over a cloth takeuproll 16 and a guide roll 17, both being supported attheir ends in bearing support means 18 which comprises aiportion of the side frame structure of the knitting machine proper. All of this is conventional construction in knitting .ma-

chines of the general type here under consideration and the fabric passing to the take-up roll 16 by way of the selvage spreader and thence to the guide roll 17 andthe cloth roll 15 is indicated in dot and dash lines at 20 in FIG. 1.

The central portion of the fabric passes in a substantially straight line from the knitting mechanism 11 to the take-up roll 16 as indicated generally by the dot and dash line 21 in FIG. 1. The cloth roll 15 is supported and driven frictionally in a cloth-winding direction in a con ventional manner. As shown in FIG. 1, each end of the cloth roll has a flange 28, known in the art as a take-up flange, which rests tangentially upon a pair of supporting and driving disks 19. The latter are synchronously driven from the general drive means of the knitting machine in a conventional manner.

A selvage spreader mounting bracket 22 is adjustably attached at its lower end to bracket 12 and extends upwardly and rearwardly over the take-up roll 16 toward the knitting mechanism 11. The engaging portions of bracket 12 and mounting bracket 22 are slotted horizontally and vertically, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1 and bolt and nut means 23 engage through the slots to attach the bracket 22 to the bracket 12 in such manner that the "former may be adjusted vertically and horizontally in a plane which is longitudinal with respect to the direction of the fabric issuing from the knitting mechanism. The adjustable mountings provided by the screws 13 and bolts and nuts 23 permit the selvage spreader mechanisms carried by mounting brackets 22 to be adjusted three-dimensionally to any position within the range of ad justment thus provided. When in secured adjusted position each mounting bracket 22 forms a rigid part of the general framework of the machine. The left-hand selvage spreader mechanism per se is designated generally by the numeral24 and is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket 22 in such manner that the selvage spreader may be pivotally adjusted relative to the mounting bracket 22 about the axis of a bushing designated by the numeral 27 in FIG. 3.

The selvage spreader mechanism per se 24 comprises principally a longitudinally extending elongated plate member 30 which comprises a support member for the spreader mechanism and a pivot bearing member 31 is attached to its under side at the right-hand end thereof as viewed in FIG. 1. As indicated fragmentarily in FIG. 3 bushing 27 has reduced diameter opposite end portions which engage respectively in the mounting bracket 22 and pivot bearing member 31.

A pair of screws 33 pass through arcuate slots in mounting bracket 22 and thread into an angle member 34 which is attached to plate member 30 by screws 35. By loosening screws 33 the plate or support member may be adjustably raised and lowered about pivot bushing 27 and by removal of the screws 33 the spreader mechanism may be swung about bushing 27 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 to completely remove the selvage spreader from the vicinity of the knitting mechanism when desired.

A hearing block 41 is secured to the underside of plate member 30 adjacent to the rear end thereof by screws 40 and the pivot bearing member 31 and bearing block 41 support pulley means for supporting and guiding an endless belt 42 which carries a series of pins or tack members 43 which are adapted to engage the selvage portions of the fabric to hold the same in a spread condition. By virtue of the slot-ted arrangement shown in FIG. 3 the pivot bearing member 31 and bearing block 41 may each be adjusted in a longitudinal direction with respect to plate member 30 for adjusting the belt tension or for other purposes.

The two main pulleys are designated 45 and 46 and are carried, respectively, by the pivot bearing member 31 and bearing block 41. A pair of guide or idler pulleys designated 47 and 48 are likewise rotatably supported upon the pivot bearing member 31 and bearing block 41, respectively. The pins or tack members are directed outwardly from belt 42 and accordingly the guide pulleys 47 and 48 have annular peripheral grooves to clear the same.

A sheet metal plate 50 underlies the upper portion of belt 42 between the pulleys 45 and 46 to support this portion of the belt and is attached along its outer edge to the under side of the supporting plate member 30. Plate member 30 is longitudinally grooved as shown at 51 in FIG. 2 to clear the pin or tack members 43 and serves to prevent the fabric from moving upwardly away from the tack members 43 as the fabric passes from pulley 46 to pulley 45.

The fabric from the knitting mechanism 11 passes between the under side of plate member 30 and the upper surface of belt 42 and is engaged securely by the pin or tack members 43 as they come up around pulley 46. The edges of the fabric remain thus securely engaged until the pin or tack members withdraw from the fabric and release the same as the belt 42 passes about the under side of pulley 45 and the fabric passes to the take-up roll 16.

The belt 42 is positively driven at various desired speeds by positive drive means. An idler shaft 55 carried by mounting bracket 22 is provided with coaxial sprockets at its inner and outer ends as at 56 and 57 in FIG. 2. The inner sprocket 56 has driving connection with a drive sprocket 58 carried by one of the cloth roll driving disks 19 as shown in FIG. 1, and outer sprocket 57 is chain connected to a sprocket 60 which is fixed to a shaft 61 which likewise carries pulley 45, whereby the latter serves as a drive pulley for belt 42. Shaft 61 is journaled' in the pivot bushing 27 which has been described previously herein. The relative speed of the selvage spreading belts 42 of the apparatus may be varied at will, as by changing the sprocket 56 to one of another diameter.

The foregoing selvage spreader drive arrangement is applicable to certain types of tricot knitting machines. In others the cloth winding roll is driven independently by a special drive arrangement and in such cases the selvage spreader may be driven [from any other variable rotating shaft of'the knitting machine which operates synchronously with the knitting mechanism. If desired this source of driving torque for the selvage spreader may be the main cam shaft of the machine.

As indicated earlier herein, the travel distance and rate of travel of the selvage portions of the fabric from the knitting mechanism to the take-up: roll, as determined by the present selvage spreader arrangement, comprises an important aspect of novelty of the present invention. In traveling from the knitting mechanism 11 to take-up roll 16 the central portion of the fabric travels in a straight line whereas the selvage portions travel to and around pulley 45 on the way to the take-up roll, a distance from fifteen to twenty percent longer than the straight line distance.

In cooperation with this added travel distance the driver pulley 45 causes the belt 42 to travel at a rate likewise from about fifteen to twenty percent faster than the speed of the center part of the fabric from the knitting mechanism to the take-up roll. The specified range of additional travel distance and higher travel speed is stated above for average kinds of fabric and normal cloth tensions. These percentages may vary between live and twenty-five percent with variations in the kind and size of yarn, the knitting pattern, the desired cloth tension, and oher variables.

I claim:

1. Edge tensioning and guiding means for flat knitting machines comprising a pair of mechanisms disposable adjacent to the side edges of flat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and guiding such edges, each mechanism comprising a support member disposed along a side edge of the fabric, a pair of pulleys carried by said support member and extending inwardly in overlapping relation with respect to the edge of the fabric, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the general direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, a belt about said pulleys and protruding pin members along said belt for engagement with said fabric to hold the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism and from said adjacent pulley to said remote pulley, said remote pulley being driven at a predetermined speed relative to the speed of the fabric from the knitting mechanism, said remote pulley including a mounting shaft member adapted to pivot said support member to said knitting machine frame, means on said support member remote from said shaft member for preventing pivotal movement, said last mentioned means being releasable to permit said support member to be swung pivotally away from said knitting mechanism to render the latter readily accessible for adjustment and repair.

2. Edge tensioning and guiding means for fiat knitting machines comprising a pair of mechanisms disposable adjacent to the side edges of fiat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and guiding such edges, each mechanism comprising a support member disposed along a side edge of the fabric, a pair of pulleys carried by said support member and extending inwardly in overlapping relation with respect to the edge of the fabric, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the general direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, a belt about said pulleys and protruding pin members along said belt for engagement with said fabric to hold the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism from said adjacent pulley to said remote pulley, said remote pulley including a mounting shaft member adapted to pivot said support member to said knitting machine frame, means on said support member remote from said shaft member for preventing pivotal movement, said last mentioned means being releasable to permit pivotal adjusting movement of said support member.

3. Edge tensioning and guiding means for flat knitting machines comprising a pair of mechanisms disposable adjacent to the side edges of fiat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and guiding such edges, each mechanism comprising a suppont member disposed along a side edge of the fabric, a pair of pulleys carried by said support member and extending inwardly in overlapping relation with respect to the edge of the fabric, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the general direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, a belt about said pulleys and protruding pin members along said belt for engagement with said fabric whereby the belt at one side of said pulleys holds the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism and from said adjacent pulley to said remote pulley, idler pulleys carried by said support member adjacent to said pulleys guiding the other side of said belt toward said first side whereby the two sides travel in close parallel relation between said pulleys, said remote pulley including a mounting shaft member adapted to pivot said support member to said knitting machine frame, means on said support member remote from said shaft member for preventing pivotal movement, said last mentioned means being releasable to permit said support member to be swung pivotally away from said knitting mechanism to render the latter readily accessible for adjustment and repair.

4. Edge tensioning and guiding means for flat knitting machines comprising a pair of mechanisms disposable adjacent to the side edges of flat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and such edges, each mechanism comprising a support member disposed along a side edge of the fabric, a pair of pulleys carried by said support member and extending inwardly in overlapping relation with respect to the edge of the fabric, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the general direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, a belt about said pulleys and means along said belt for engagement with said fabric to hold the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism from said adjacent pulley to said remote pulley, said remote pulley including a mounting shaft member adapted to pivot said support member to sm'd knitting machine frame, means on said support member remote from said shaft member for preventing pivotal movement, said last mentioned means being releasable to permit pivotal adjusting movement of said support member.

5. Edge tensioning and guiding means for flat knitting machines having knitting mechanism and cloth take-up means spaced therefrom to receive fabric knitted thereby, said tensioning and guiding means comprising a pair of mechanisms disposed adjacent to the side edges of flat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and guiding such edges, each mechanism comprising a pair of pulleys, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the genenal direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, said adjacent pulley having a peripheral portion generally tangent to a line between said knitting mechanism and said take-up means and said remote pulley having a peripheral portion substantially offset with respect to said line in a longitudinal plane whereby to travel the edge portions of the fabric a substantially greater distance than the central portions, l3. belt about said pulleys and protruding pin members along said belt for engagement with said fabric at its edge portions only to hold the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism and from the peripheral portion of said adjacent pulley to the peripheral portion of said remote pulley and about the latter to direct the said side edges to the takeup means, and means for driving said remote pulley at a predetermined speed substantially faster than the general speed of the fabric from the knitting mechanism.

6. Edge tensioning and guiding means for flat knitting machines having knitting mechanism and cloth take-up means spaced therefrom to receive fabric knitted thereby, said tensioning and guiding means comprising a pair of mechanisms disposed adjacent to the side edges of flat knit fabric as the same issues from the knitting mechanism for engaging and guiding such edges, each mechanism comprising a pair of pulleys, one of said pulleys being adjacent to said knitting mechanism and the other being relatively remote therefrom in the general direction of movement of said fabric from the knitting mechanism, said adjacent pulley having a peripheral portion generally tangent to a line between said knitting mechanism and said take-up means and said remote pulley having a peripheral portion substantially offset with respect to said line in a longitudinal plane whereby to travel the edge portions of the fabric a substantially greater distance than the central portions, a belt about said pulleys and protruding pin members along said belt for engagement with said fabric at its edge portions only to hold the fabric to full width as the same passes from the knitting mechanism and from the peripheral portion of said adjacent pulley to the peripheral portion of said remote pulley and about the latter to direct the said side edges to the take-up means, and means for driving said remote pulley at a predetermined speed substantially faster than the general speed of the fabric from the knitting mechanism, the travel distance and travel speed of the edge portions of the fabric being between ten and tweny-five percent greater than the travel distance and travel speed of the central portions of the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,028 Larnbach et a1 Oct. 29, 1957 2,907,195 Schoenster et Oct. 6, 1959- 2,9l6,899 Hepp et al. Dec. 15, 1959 2,941,387 Trumpio June 21, 1960 2,986,267 Carlson May 30, 1961 

1. EDGE TENSIONING AND GUIDING MEANS FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES COMPRISING A PAIR OF MECHANISMS DISPOSABLE ADJACENT TO THE SIDE EDGES OF FLAT KNIT FABRIC AS THE SAME ISSUES FROM THE KNITTING MECHANISM FOR ENGAGING AND GUIDING SUCH EDGES, EACH MECHANISM COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER DISPOSED ALONG A SIDE EDGE OF THE FABRIC, A PAIR OF PULLEYS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND EXTENDING INWARDLY IN OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE EDGE OF THE FABRIC, ONE OF SAID PULLEYS BEING ADJACENT TO SAID KNITTING MECHANISM AND THE OTHER BEING RELATIVELY REMOTE THEREFROM IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FABRIC FROM THE KNITTING MECHANISM, A BELT ABOUT SAID PULLEYS AND PROTRUDING PIN MEMBERS ALONG SAID BELT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FABRIC TO HOLD THE FABRIC TO FULL WIDTH AS THE SAME PASSES FROM THE KNITTING MECHANISM AND FROM SAID ADJACENT PULLEY TO SAID REMOTE PULLEY, SAID REMOTE PULLEY BEING DRIVEN AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED RELATIVE TO THE SPEED OF THE FABRIC FROM THE KNITTING MECHANISM, SAID REMOTE PULLEY INCLUDING A MOUNTING SHAFT MEMBER ADAPTED TO PIVOT SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID KNITTING MACHINE FRAME, MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID SHAFT MEMBER FOR PREVENTING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS BEING RELEASABLE TO PERMIT SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO BE SWUNG PIVOTALLY AWAY FROM SAID KNITTING MECHANISM TO RENDER THE LATTER READILY ACCESSIBLE FOR ADJUSTMENT AND REPAIR. 